Battling Broadhurst getting back in the swing

HE turned professional in 1988 on the back of a glittering amateur career. Two years later, he was shooting 63 in the Open Championship at St Andrews.

Twelve months after that, he emerged unbeaten on his Ryder Cup debut, beating Mark O'Meara by 3 and 1 in the singles in the infamous War on the Shore at Kiawah Island and by 1995 he had four prestigious European Tour titles and a financial nest egg to his name.

Then almost overnight the cash flow dried up. A hand injury prevented him from playing at all in 2000.

He competed in 2002 on a full medical exemption but had to go to the qualifying school after coming in 157th on the money list. He battled back in 2003 with a third place finish in the Diageo Championship and now a mid-season surge suggests the second coming of 'Broadie' could well be at hand.

On Monday, he jointly led the qualifier for the Open Championship at Sunningdale and yesterday was one of three players to defy the high winds that buffeted the inherently difficult South Course at The K-Club and finished sharing the lead on five under par.

There's a long way to go, of course, and Broadhurst has long since learned not to take anything for granted. In spite of his success at Sunningdale, he wasn't in expectant frame of mind coming to Co Kildare.

"Absolutely not", he said. "I played awful in France last week.

"I didn't really know where it was going. I went home and practised in the pouring rain on Saturday and Sunday just to try and find something for Sunningdale.

"Otherwise, there wasn't much point in going. I tried one or two things until they clicked and stuck with that.

"Anything par or better here is a really good effort. The eagle at the 7th, where I hit a three iron to eighteen feet, was a big help and I was delighted with 32 to the turn. I was hanging in coming home. At the 10th, I played a shocking two iron but got away with it and pitched to eight feet and made birdie. That was the only really bad shot I hit so I wouldn't call it a lucky round."

Broadhurst is currently 64th in the order of merit with €107,600 to his credit and doesn't even know whether or not he picks up any money for his exploits at Sunningdale. He made a good shot at a first win for nine years in the British Masters at the Forest of Arden in May only to lose out to Barry Lane. Could this be his big chance? "This is the best start I've had", he commented tentatively. "I've had the odd two under but nothing like five. My game has been up and down for the last four or five weeks. Confidence is the thing really. I've putted a lot better this year. I've always had a good short game."